Sardou's Cleopatra — page 67: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

52 SARDOWS CLEOPATRA, Among these latter was not Ventidius; the hon- est old veteran had returned to Rome filled with bitter regret at the weakness of the master he loved in spite of all. Among the revellers circulated Asiatic pages, supplying their wants and sprinkling them with perfumes. Musicians, stationed out of sight, filled the air with soft, voluptuous music. Upon a sort of throne, supported by golden erifins-and strewn with rose leaves, sat side by side, Cleopatra and Antony. All about them were scattered lotus flowers, some of a creamy white, some of a celestial blue, and some of a ten- der rose color. Behind the throng stood Char- mian and Iras, the queen’s favorite attendants, waving to and fro large fans made of ibis plumes. Cleopatra was radiant; never had she been more beautiful. She wore a robe of a pale, dia- phanous blue, open at the sides and caught together with golden bees. About her slender waist was a girdle resplendent with gold and pre- cious stones. Over her shoulders was thrown the royal mantle of sapphire blue, heavy with marvelous embroidery, and upon the silken masses of her dark hair rested a crown of ser- pents with flashing ruby eyes. High up on her GComicbooks.co